Phylogeographic and population genetic analyses reveal multiple species of Boa and independent origins of insular dwarfism.

ABSTRACT: Boa is a Neotropical genus of snakes historically recognized as monotypic despite its expansive distribution. The distinct morphological traits and color patterns exhibited by these snakes, together with the wide diversity of ecosystems they inhabit, collectively suggest that the genus may represent multiple species. Morphological variation within Boa also includes instances of dwarfism observed in multiple offshore island populations. Despite this substantial diversity, the systematics of the genus Boa has received little attention until very recently. In this study we examined the genetic structure and phylogenetic relationships of Boa populations using mitochondrial sequences and genome-wide SNP data obtained from RADseq. We analyzed these data at multiple geographic scales using a comb

SUBMITTER: Card DC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5894333 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature